


Thank God For James Rhodes

by VYCanisMajoris



Series: Amnesia Fics [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sam Wilson Needs a Hug, Temporary Amnesia, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, because i left that behind a while ago, i dont even know if it is, lots and lots of angst, or is it???, what was actual canon??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 12:46:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10360827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VYCanisMajoris/pseuds/VYCanisMajoris
Summary: For Tumblr Prompt:aw hey! may I please have the angsty ironfalcon amnesiafic if it's alright :D? thank you!





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. They belong to Marvel Entertainment. Any writing is completely fan-made and I make no profit from this writing.
> 
> I hope you guys wanted some angst after all that fluff, cause here it is!!

“Has he woken up?” Steve asks, staring at Tony’s unconscious form with narrowed eyes. 

“Nope.” Helen says, frowning at her clipboard. “He should in the next few minutes, though. Only one, maybe two of you, should be in there, so figure out who’s leaving.”

They all trade looks. Clint scratches a soot-stained cheek with rough nails, and says, “I’m sitting this one out. My face isn’t the one he’ll want to see, though I am the prettiest, after Nat, of course.” 

“Damn right,” Steve and Natasha say in unison, before sharing a smile. 

“Gross.” Sam says, and Helen hums an agreement. 

“So we’re just gonna act like you and Tony aren’t gross too? With all the sappy pick-up lines and forehead kisses and shit?” Clint asks, shaking his head, “How hypocritical.” 

“As fun as this is,” Rhodey says, breaking up a budding argument, “I’m going to tell everyone but Helen and Sam to leave, respectfully, of course.” 

“Of course.” Steve repeats, a smile on his face as he stands from his chair. He gives Tony a quick glance, brows furrowed, before leaving the room. Clint blows a quick kiss at Tony’s still unconscious body, nods to Sam and Rhodey, and follows Steve out.

Natasha waits a moment, letting the other two get ahead so just Sam, Rhodey, and Helen are left to hear her, and asks, “He’ll be fine, right?”

Helen nods, tapping her clipboard. “There should be only some slight trauma from the incident, he might be confused at times or forget some things, but that should clear up in a day or two.” 

Natasha nods, staring at Tony a beat longer before patting his foot. She gives Rhodey and Sam a reassuring smile, and leaves, shutting the door behind her. The room is silent for a moment, with Sam staring at his husband with wide eyes, wishing that Tony wasn’t so sickly pale. He reaches out to take Tony’s cold hand in his, running a thumb over the wedding band shinning on Tony’s ring-finger in a way that still makes Sam wonder how he got such an amazing husband. 

Rhodey pulls out a chair, gestures for Sam to sit, and when he does, sits beside him. Sam looks to Helen and asks, “Any idea for post-care?”

“Some painkillers.” Helen smiles, “Which we can all agree will be a challenge to get him to take.” 

Sam nods, but Rhodey shakes his head, and says, “He’ll do it if you bribe him, Sam.” 

“With what?”

“Nothing a friend needs to know.” 

Sam chokes out a stuttering laugh, and Helen smiles. The smile slips from her face as her pager emits a high-pitched beep. She checks it, sighs, and says, “I’ll be back in a minute.” 

Sam nods, and she walks from the room, shutting the door behind herself. As it clicks shut, Sam looks over to Rhodey and says, “Thanks.” 

“For?” Rhodey asks, leaning back in his seat. 

“You caught Tony, when he was falling. You saved him. Thank you for that.” 

“No problem.”

“Seriously, Rhodey.” 

“I am serious.” Rhodey shrugs, looking over to Tony. “It’s no problem when Tony’s concerned.”

Sam nods, a small smile on his face. That’s something they can always agree on. The smile widens as Tony shifts in the bed, letting out a soft groan. Rhodey’s eyes flash wide, and Sam moves across the stand beside the bed, reaching out to take Tony’s hand in his, and says a soft, “Sweetheart?”

Tony blinks slowly, eyes foggy, but the fog quickly clears as he stares at Sam. His mouth drops open, and the smile spread across Sam’s face disappears as a strangled scream tears from Tony’s mouth. His hands scrabble at his chest, tearing the flimsy, hospital-issued shirt off. His hands only pause when he catches sight of the reactor, and they start up faster after that, a high-pitched whine working upward in volume from the back of his throat as he works. 

“Tony,” Sam says, shocked into stillness as Tony pushes himself backwards, away from Sam, and almost falls off the bed. 

Rhodey catches him, like he caught him from the sky earlier in the day, and Tony fights even him, arms flying out as he flails to get away from Rhodey, not comprehending who’s beside him. Rhodey doesn’t flinch away. He catches Tony, and keeps his grip gentle as Tony spins around, never pausing in fighting to get away. 

“Tones, Tones,” Rhodey says, voice somehow soft in a way Sam doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand what’s happening to Tony, he doesn’t understand what Tony’s going through. He’s helped Tony through panic attacks, flashbacks, and night-terrors alike, and Tony’s helped him back, but this… 

Tony pauses when he finally sees who’s holding him, and his eyes go wide, glassy with tears as he says, voice soft and hesitant in a way that breaks Sam’s heart, “Rhodey?”

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam stares into the hospital room through the window, heart caught in a cold vice as he watches Tony shake from nerves as he holds onto Rhodey with an iron grip that Rhodey returns.

“Amnesia?” Sam asks, voice cracking, though he isn’t surprised. He glances down at his palms, surprised by the small lines of blood making their way down his skin. He hadn’t realized how hard he was clenching his fists. 

Helen nods. “The last thing he remembers is his second month in Afghanistan.”

“Shit.” Natasha shakes her head, “That’s…” 

“Horrible.” Clint finishes. “How did this happen?”

“Head trauma, amnesia,” Helen says, voice soft. She gives Sam a quick glance, eyes sympathetic, before continuing, “I’ll get you numbers for more specialized doctors.”

_Is it temporary?_ Sam wants to ask, _Will he never remember his life, us, me?_ He isn't sure he can speak again without his voice failing him, so he looks to Natasha, hoping she'll understand what he can't say. She does, and asks, “This isn’t a couple of days and it clears up like you said before, then?”

Helen shakes her head. “No, the trauma is deeper than originally expected.” 

She looks over to Sam, holding his gaze now, and says, “He should be with company he recalls, to prevent another panic attack. I’m sorry Mr. Wilson, but…”

Sam stares at her for a moment, not comprehending, before his heart jerks to a sudden stop. Tony doesn’t remember anything past Afghanistan, so… he doesn’t remember Sam, Clint, Tasha, anyone other than Rhodey, Pepper, or Happy. In his current condition, he can’t handle anyone else. So, that means… Sam can’t be in there, not in Tony’s current stress. His breath catches in his throat. 

Sam says nothing, but nods. He clears his throat, trying and failing to remove the wet feeling in the back of his throat that prevents him from getting a full breath. 

“I’m sorry.”

Sam nods again, blinking quickly. He looks through the window again, and stares through it, hating that he can’t go in and help his own husband. What does that make him, if he can’t even help him?

“A normal person,” Clint says from his seat. Oh. Did... did Sam say all of that aloud?

"You did," Clint says, eyes sad. He meets Sam’s gaze, and says, “I felt helpless after Loki. Everyone does, Sam. This doesn’t make you less. It just… makes things difficult.” 

Sam swallows, eyes burning, and, finally speaking, he asks, “There’s a chance he won’t remember, isn’t there?”

Helen stares at him for a long moment, eyes betraying nothing, before giving a small nod. “A… a large one.” 

Sam nods slowly, breath catching in his throat, and he looks through the window at his husband, caught in a nightmare that should have ended years ago, and thanks God for James Rhodes.


End file.
